Meet Terri Weldon!

Friends, I can’t wait for you to meet my friend, Terri Weldon. She’s an author, blogger extraordinaire, and she’s awesome! So grab a cup of coffee, or tea, or soda (no judgment here) and let’s talk!

SHAREE: Seriously Write Blogspot is a great help to writers. Can you tell us a little about how you got involved with the team?

TERRI: White Rose, a division of Pelican, published my first novella, Mistletoe Magic, in 2013. Annette Irby was my editor, and she asked me to guest blog on Seriously Write. I began reading the blog on a regular basis once I discovered what a great resource it is for writers. Dora Heirs, a team member at the time, asked me to be a regular contributor. So for a while I posted once a month. Well, to make a long story short if it isn’t already too late, when Dora left the team, they asked me to step into her shoes. Big shoes to fill but the other gals haven’t kicked me off the team yet. I thoroughly enjoy being involved with Seriously Write.

SHAREE: Your bio says your day job is lead analyst. What does that entail? If it’s top secret, that’s even more exciting!

TERRI: Oh, Sharee, if my day job was that exciting I wouldn’t need to write novels. I’d be living the adventures. Instead my day job entails a lot of math and decision making. The absolute best thing about my day job is I’ll be leaving it the end of August. Once that happens I plan to devote more time to my writing.

SHAREE: Writers are some of the greatest people I’ve ever met. Many (including myself) have strange writing habits. What are some of yours (food, drink, lighting, music, etc.)

TERRI: Hmm, that’s a tough one. To begin with I’m a night owl. My creativity comes out in the wee hours. I get a second burst of energy after 10:00 p.m. If I’m working in my office I like to light a vanilla candle and either listen to Praise and Worship music or Rod Stewart. My food preference would be anything chocolate, but since sitting at a desk burns very few calories, well, I have to limit the chocolate intake.

SHAREE: Summertime is the perfect time to celebrate romance. Please share a short back cover blurb with us.

TERRI: Natalie Benton bounced from one foster home to another until she landed on Ellie Alexander’s doorstep. Her vagabond childhood caused her to yearn for a secure life, which led to Natalie’s five-year plan: complete her law degree, marry the perfect man, become a partner at Montgomery, Haynes, and Preston, and produce one child. Getting arrested wasn’t in Natalie’s plan. Needing a public defender wasn’t in her plan. Falling for Grady Hunter, her public defender, definitely wasn’t in her plan. Can Grady convince Natalie there is more to life than her five-year plan? Is Ellie the only one who sees a future for Natalie and Grady? Amazon Buy Link: The Matchmakers

SHAREE: OOOOOh Terri that sounds fabulous! Sold!

SHAREE: Do you have a favorite character in this story? What makes him/her extra special or different from other characters you’ve written in the past?

TERRI: Well, in this case my favorite character is the bad guy – Jason Whitney. He is just bad through and through, which actually made him kind of fun to write. Jason never did feel bad about how he deceived Natalie. In fact, he acted like she shouldn’t have been gullible enough to fall for him and his scheme. Since poor Natalie did, Jason acted like, tough luck kid. But if you aren’t a fan of bad guys don’t despair. Grady Hunter, the hero, definitely makes up for Jason’s bad behavior.

SHAREE: Do you have any guilty pleasures when you’re not writing? Binge watching TV or eating a whole carton of chocolate ice cream for instance?

TERRI: I don’t watch a lot of current television programs, but I do tend to binge watch BBC – Phryne Fisher, Lord Peter Wimsey, Miss Marple, Rosemary and Thyme. And I binge watch my favorite movies such as Send Me No Flowers and Pillow Talk. Plus I love going to the movies. My sister and I have been known to go to the show, eat lunch, and go back to the show. Totally fun!

Another area I binge on is reading. Is there a writer alive who doesn’t love to read?

As far as ice cream, well, I’m taking the 5th.

SHAREE: What’s the greatest message you hope readers gain from this book?

TERRI: No matter what has happened to you in life God loves you and He has placed other people in your life to love you as well. You don’t have to live your entire life holding people at arm’s length. Sure some people will let you down, but others will love you forever – friends as well as family.

SHAREE: Please feel free to share anything else you think will be helpful or fun.

TERRI: Even though I mentioned Jason Whitney, my bad guy, and being willing to take a chance on love no matter what has happened in your life, this isn’t a “heavy” book. It is actually a light hearted read with what I hope you will agree is a good message. Also, this is in an anthology with Jean C. Gordon and Lisa Belcastro so if you decide to purchase the book you are guaranteed two additional great novellas.
TERRI!! Thank you so much for hanging out with us today. I can’t wait to read The Matchmakers. Friends, if you want more information about Terri (and you know you do), here’s her social media links!

Terri Weldon is a lead analyst by day and an author by night. She enjoys gardening, reading, and shopping for shoes – a habit she really needs to break. Problem is they make new, cute ones every season. One of her favorite pastimes is volunteering as the librarian at her church. It allows her to shop for books and spend someone else’s money! Plus, she has the great joy of introducing people to Christian fiction. She lives with her family in Oklahoma. Terri has two adorable Westies – or they have her, she’s never sure which. Terri is a member of Romance Writers of America and American Christian Fiction Writers. Her dream of becoming a published author came true when her novella Mistletoe Magic was published.

Hi, Terri! I love the movie Send Me No Flowers. I love the line when Rock Hudson’s character asks Tony Randall’s character if he has ever felt a table before. And of course when Rock Hudson’s character, George, tells the doctor it hurts when he does this, and the doctor merely looks at him and tells him not to do that anymore. Thanks for the tips. I enjoyed reading your interview and hearing more about your writing past. Have a great weekend.